West Bengal SIR: Supreme Court Asks Calcutta HC CJ To Examine Security Plea Of Tribunal Judge Amid Threat Allegations

The bench of Chief Justice Surya Kant, Justice Joymalya Bagchi and Justice V Mohana directed the Chief Justice of the Calcutta High Court to look into the concerns raised in the petition and take such necessary steps as may be required.

CJI Surya Kant said, "We request the Chief Justice of the Calcutta High Court to look into the matter and take such necessary steps as may be required."

The petition contends that the matter raises issues concerning the independence of the justice delivery system, the safety of judicial officers and their family members, and the State's constitutional obligation to protect life and liberty under Article 21.

Plea alleges accident, threats to judge's family

According to the petition filed through AoR Ashish Pandey, Justice Anindita Roy Saraswati met with an accident on April 22, 2026, while travelling on Diamond Harbour Road to the SIR Appellate Tribunal. She was taken to a nearby hospital where she underwent initial treatment, including a CT scan.

The petition states that doctors advised her to be admitted in view of the injuries, particularly to her left hand, but she declined admission and proceeded to the Tribunal to discharge her duties.

An FIR was registered at Behala Police Station on the same day under provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita. The petition further states that the investigating authorities subsequently indicated that the accident was being treated as a planned incident.

The petition alleges that a handwritten threat letter was subsequently received at the judge's Rajarhat residence on April 30. The communication was addressed to her son, who was serving as her Personal Security Officer, and allegedly contained threats linked to the judge's functioning at the SIR Tribunal.

A substantially similar threat letter was allegedly received at the petitioner's Kolkata residence on May 2.

The petition further alleges that CCTV wires at the Kolkata residence were cut, claiming that the incidents appeared to form part of a coordinated attempt to intimidate the family.

According to the plea, the threats allegedly warned that Justice Roy Saraswati and her family members would be killed if names of Muslim persons were not included in the electoral rolls while she discharged her functions at the SIR Tribunal.

Petition seeks independent probe, security cover

The petitioner has alleged that despite FIRs being registered and representations being made to senior police officials, effective protection proportionate to the alleged threat has not been provided.

The plea argues that threats directed at members of the judiciary or persons assisting judicial institutions, with the alleged objective of influencing judicial or quasi-judicial functions, go beyond an ordinary criminal dispute and implicate the constitutional principle of judicial independence.

Among other reliefs, the petitioner has sought an immediate threat-perception assessment by a specialised security agency and appropriate armed police protection.

The plea also seeks constitution of an independent Special Investigation Team, preferably under the monitoring of the Supreme Court, to investigate the Rajarhat FIR, the complaint lodged at Tiljala Police Station and other connected incidents.

It further seeks a comprehensive forensic investigation of the threatening communications, preservation of electronic, postal and forensic evidence and investigation into any larger conspiracy behind the alleged incidents.

The Supreme Court, however, did not itself issue detailed directions on the security arrangements at this stage and instead asked the Chief Justice of the Calcutta High Court to examine the matter and take necessary steps.